README.md

@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ curl -s -i http://localhost/lancache-heartbeat
 | `cache_hits` / `cache_misses` / `hit_rate` | Whether later requests were served from cache |
 | `memory_cache_hits` / `disk_cache_hits` | Which tier served the hits |
 | `total_requests` / `errors` | Volume and failures |
+| `disk_tier_ready` | `0` while disk slow-tier attach pending; `1` when attached, or when no disk configured (N/A — not waiting) |
 
 A first pass through new content is mostly misses (`hit_rate` near 0). Repeat the same content and `cache_hits` / `hit_rate` should rise.
 
@@ -94,6 +95,8 @@ curl -s -i http://localhost/lancache-heartbeat
 
 Use GET (`curl -i`), not HEAD (`curl -I`): the server only accepts GET.
 
+Heartbeat also returns `X-SteamCache-Disk-Tier: pending|ready|disabled` (`disabled` = memory-only / no disk; `pending`/`ready` = disk configured attach state).
+
 These are the cache process's own `/metrics` and `/lancache-heartbeat` endpoints. There is no separate metrics daemon.
 
 If you changed `listen_address`, point curl at that host:port instead. For a full SteamPrefill validation workflow (small caches, coalescing, GC), see [Validating Full Functionality](#validating-full-functionality-with-external-tools).
@@ -287,6 +290,9 @@ See `config.Validate()` and `steamcache.New` error paths. This ensures the LAN a
 - The explicit startup guard (reduce size if pre-existing on-disk > cap) runs as the literal last step of bg init, before the barrier opens.
 - Add a note for operators: very large disk caches (tens/hundreds GB with millions files) may show extended "memory-only or no-cache" behavior at startup (seconds to minutes depending on storage speed); this is by design for responsiveness.
 - Godoc on `disk.New` and `DiskFS.Size` expanded with the barrier/attach behavior.
+- Startup logs: Info "Disk slow tier attach pending..." then later "Disk slow tier attached (...)" for disk-only and mixed modes.
+- `/metrics` exposes `disk_tier_ready` 0/1 and stays responsive during attach (GetMetrics does not block on Size while pending).
+- `/lancache-heartbeat` header `X-SteamCache-Disk-Tier` mirrors that state.
 
 #### Garbage Collection Algorithms
 

steamcache/handler.go

@@ -56,6 +56,15 @@ func (sc *SteamCache) handleSpecialEndpoints(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Requ
 		logger.Logger.Debug().
 			Str("client_ip", clientIP).
 			Msg("LanCache heartbeat request")
+		diskTier := "disabled"
+		if sc.disk != nil {
+			if sc.metrics.GetDiskTierReady() == 1 {
+				diskTier = "ready"
+			} else {
+				diskTier = "pending"
+			}
+		}
+		w.Header().Add("X-SteamCache-Disk-Tier", diskTier)
 		w.Header().Add("X-LanCache-Processed-By", "SteamCache2")
 		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusNoContent)
 		_, _ = w.Write(nil) // client write error ignored (heartbeat path; nil write is no-op)

steamcache/metrics/metrics.go

@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ type Metrics struct {
 	DiskCacheHits   int64
 	Promotions      int64
 	Evictions       int64
+	DiskTierReady   int64 // 0=pending (or unset), 1=ready or no-disk (N/A)
 
 	// Expanded observability (upstream breakdowns, cache write failures, per-service errors)
 	UpstreamErrors     int64
@@ -114,6 +115,17 @@ func (m *Metrics) SetDiskCacheSize(size int64) {
 	atomic.StoreInt64(&m.DiskCacheSize, size)
 }
 
+// SetDiskTierReady sets whether the disk slow tier is attached (1) or still pending (0).
+// Memory-only (no disk) also uses 1 — meaning "not waiting on disk attach". Reset does not clear this.
+func (m *Metrics) SetDiskTierReady(ready int64) {
+	atomic.StoreInt64(&m.DiskTierReady, ready)
+}
+
+// GetDiskTierReady returns 1 if disk tier is ready (or no disk configured), else 0 while attach pending.
+func (m *Metrics) GetDiskTierReady() int64 {
+	return atomic.LoadInt64(&m.DiskTierReady)
+}
+
 // IncrementMemoryCacheHits increments memory cache hits
 func (m *Metrics) IncrementMemoryCacheHits() {
 	atomic.AddInt64(&m.MemoryCacheHits, 1)
@@ -196,6 +208,7 @@ func (m *Metrics) GetStats() *Stats {
 		TotalBytesSaved:    atomic.LoadInt64(&m.TotalBytesSaved),
 		MemoryCacheSize:    atomic.LoadInt64(&m.MemoryCacheSize),
 		DiskCacheSize:      atomic.LoadInt64(&m.DiskCacheSize),
+		DiskTierReady:      atomic.LoadInt64(&m.DiskTierReady),
 		MemoryCacheHits:    atomic.LoadInt64(&m.MemoryCacheHits),
 		DiskCacheHits:      atomic.LoadInt64(&m.DiskCacheHits),
 		Promotions:         atomic.LoadInt64(&m.Promotions),
@@ -253,6 +266,7 @@ type Stats struct {
 	MemoryCacheSize  int64
 
 	DiskCacheSize      int64
+	DiskTierReady      int64
 	MemoryCacheHits    int64
 	DiskCacheHits      int64
 	Promotions         int64
@@ -297,5 +311,6 @@ func WriteText(w http.ResponseWriter, stats *Stats) {
 
 	_, _ = fmt.Fprintf(w, "memory_cache_size %d\n", stats.MemoryCacheSize)
 	_, _ = fmt.Fprintf(w, "disk_cache_size %d\n", stats.DiskCacheSize)
+	_, _ = fmt.Fprintf(w, "disk_tier_ready %d\n", stats.DiskTierReady)
 	_, _ = fmt.Fprintf(w, "uptime_seconds %.2f\n", stats.Uptime.Seconds())
 }

steamcache/steamcache.go

@@ -200,23 +200,33 @@ func New(address string, memorySize string, diskSize string, diskPath, upstream,
 
 	if disksize == 0 && memorysize != 0 {
 		// memory only mode - no disk
+		sc.metrics.SetDiskTierReady(1) // no disk — N/A / not pending
 		c.SetSlow(mgc)
 	} else if disksize != 0 && memorysize == 0 {
 		// disk only mode: delay attach until disk ready (pure-proxy during scan; Create returns ErrNotFound until slow tier Set)
+		sc.metrics.SetDiskTierReady(0)
+		logger.Logger.Info().Msg("Disk slow tier attach pending; Size barrier in progress")
 		sc.wg.Add(1)
 		go func() {
 			defer sc.wg.Done()
+			t0 := time.Now()
 			_ = d.Size() // block on barrier per design (all Size callers during window do this; documented)
 			select {
 			case <-sc.shutdownCh:
 				return // Shutdown raced; do not attach or SetSlow after stop
 			default:
 				c.SetSlow(dgc)
+				sc.metrics.SetDiskTierReady(1)
+				logger.Logger.Info().
+					Dur("attach_delay", time.Since(t0)).
+					Msg("Disk slow tier attached (disk-only mode); prior traffic had no disk tier")
 			}
 		}()
 	} else if disksize != 0 && memorysize != 0 {
 		// memory and disk mode: fast mem immediate, disk delayed (mem-only during scan)
 		c.SetFast(mgc)
+		sc.metrics.SetDiskTierReady(0)
+		logger.Logger.Info().Msg("Disk slow tier attach pending; Size barrier in progress")
 		sc.wg.Add(1)
 		go func() {
 			defer sc.wg.Done()
@@ -227,6 +237,7 @@ func New(address string, memorySize string, diskSize string, diskPath, upstream,
 				return
 			default:
 				c.SetSlow(dgc)
+				sc.metrics.SetDiskTierReady(1)
 				logger.Logger.Info().
 					Dur("attach_delay", time.Since(t0)).
 					Msg("Disk slow tier attached (mixed mode); prior traffic was memory-only")
@@ -326,15 +337,13 @@ func (sc *SteamCache) Shutdown() {
 
 // GetMetrics returns current metrics
 func (sc *SteamCache) GetMetrics() *metrics.Stats {
-	// Update cache sizes
 	if sc.memory != nil {
 		sc.metrics.SetMemoryCacheSize(sc.memory.Size())
 	}
-	if sc.disk != nil {
-		// Note: blocks on initDone (post-eviction state) for accurate post-attach size during long disk init window.
+	// Skip disk.Size() while attach pending — Size() blocks on initDone and would hang /metrics.
+	if sc.disk != nil && sc.metrics.GetDiskTierReady() == 1 {
 		sc.metrics.SetDiskCacheSize(sc.disk.Size())
 	}
-
 	return sc.metrics.GetStats()
 }
 

steamcache/steamcache_test.go

@@ -1057,6 +1057,12 @@ func TestDiskOnlyDelayedAttach(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("during init window, expected ErrNotFound from disk-only tiered Create (no slow), got %v", err)
 	}
 
+	// Disk tier is pending while the attach goroutine is in the Size barrier.
+	// GetMetrics must return quickly (it skips disk.Size() while pending) and report 0.
+	if got := sc.GetMetrics().DiskTierReady; got != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("during pending attach, DiskTierReady=%d, want 0", got)
+	}
+
 	// Wait the barrier (exercises the attach go's Size wait)
 	_ = sc.disk.Size()
 
@@ -1083,6 +1089,91 @@ func TestDiskOnlyDelayedAttach(t *testing.T) {
 	} else {
 		rc.Close()
 	}
+
+	// After attach, the disk tier must be marked ready (1)
+	if got := sc.GetMetrics().DiskTierReady; got != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("post-attach DiskTierReady=%d, want 1 (ready)", got)
+	}
+
+	// /metrics text output includes the disk_tier_ready line
+	rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	metrics.WriteText(rec, sc.GetMetrics())
+	if !bytes.Contains(rec.Body.Bytes(), []byte("disk_tier_ready 1")) {
+		t.Errorf("WriteText output missing \"disk_tier_ready 1\": %q", rec.Body.String())
+	}
+}
+
+// TestDiskTierSignalMemoryOnly covers memory-only mode: DiskTierReady=1 (N/A, not
+// waiting on disk attach) and heartbeat header X-SteamCache-Disk-Tier: disabled.
+func TestDiskTierSignalMemoryOnly(t *testing.T) {
+	sc, err := New("127.0.0.1:0", "1MB", "0", t.TempDir(), "", "lru", "lru", 10, 5, "0", nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("New memory-only: %v", err)
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(func() { sc.Shutdown() })
+
+	if got := sc.GetMetrics().DiskTierReady; got != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("DiskTierReady=%d, want 1 (memory-only = N/A/not pending)", got)
+	}
+
+	req := httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/lancache-heartbeat", nil)
+	rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	sc.ServeHTTP(rec, req)
+	if rec.Code != http.StatusNoContent {
+		t.Errorf("heartbeat status=%d, want 204", rec.Code)
+	}
+	if got := rec.Header().Get("X-SteamCache-Disk-Tier"); got != "disabled" {
+		t.Errorf("X-SteamCache-Disk-Tier=%q, want disabled", got)
+	}
+	if got := rec.Header().Get("X-LanCache-Processed-By"); got != "SteamCache2" {
+		t.Errorf("X-LanCache-Processed-By=%q, want SteamCache2", got)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestDiskTierSignalMixedPendingReady covers mixed mode: DiskTierReady=0 (header
+// pending) while the disk attach is in the Size barrier, then DiskTierReady=1
+// (header ready) after the barrier opens and the attach goroutine sets SetSlow.
+func TestDiskTierSignalMixedPendingReady(t *testing.T) {
+	td := t.TempDir()
+	diskPath := filepath.Join(td, "disk")
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(diskPath, 0755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	sc, err := New("127.0.0.1:0", "1MB", "10MB", diskPath, "", "lru", "lru", 10, 1, "0", nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("New mixed: %v", err)
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(func() { sc.Shutdown() })
+
+	// Immediately in the pending window
+	if got := sc.GetMetrics().DiskTierReady; got != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("immediate DiskTierReady=%d, want 0 (pending)", got)
+	}
+	req := httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/lancache-heartbeat", nil)
+	rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	sc.ServeHTTP(rec, req)
+	if got := rec.Header().Get("X-SteamCache-Disk-Tier"); got != "pending" {
+		t.Errorf("heartbeat header=%q, want pending", got)
+	}
+
+	// Wait the barrier, then retry until the attach goroutine flips the flag
+	_ = sc.disk.Size()
+	deadline := time.Now().Add(2 * time.Second)
+	for time.Now().Before(deadline) {
+		if sc.GetMetrics().DiskTierReady == 1 {
+			break
+		}
+		time.Sleep(1 * time.Millisecond)
+	}
+	if got := sc.GetMetrics().DiskTierReady; got != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("DiskTierReady=%d after barrier, want 1 (ready)", got)
+	}
+
+	rec2 := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	sc.ServeHTTP(rec2, httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/lancache-heartbeat", nil))
+	if got := rec2.Header().Get("X-SteamCache-Disk-Tier"); got != "ready" {
+		t.Errorf("heartbeat header=%q, want ready", got)
+	}
 }
 
 // --- Phase 2: narrow black-box tests for the new wrapper types ---